Bonds' Perjury Trial Could Be Delayed

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Federal prosecutors will appeal a key ruling in the Barry Bonds perjury trial, a lawyer familiar with the case has told The Associated Press.

The lawyer spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision had not been publicly announced. He told the AP on Friday that prosecutors had decided on a course that could delay the start of the case by "several months."

Prosecutors were supposed to announce their decision by 3 p.m.Pacific time. The appeal comes after Bonds' trainer, Greg Anderson,told U.S. District Judge Susan Illston he had no plans to testify in the slugger's trial.

Without Anderson's testimony, Illston will not allow several key pieces of prosecution evidence. Bonds is accused of lying to a grand jury when he denied that he knowingly took performance-enhancing drugs.

Bonds trial has been scheduled to start Monday.

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